Trump's Mexican Standoff and the New Illiberal Right
When Tucker Carlson and Elizabeth Warren agree on trade, regulation, and social media, it's time to rethink a few things.
Science Fiction
If We Told You Neal Stephenson Invented Bitcoin, Would You Be Surprised?
In his new book, Fall, the author of Snow Crash, Cryptonomicon, and The Diamond Age, looks to the digital afterlife, and beyond.
Reflections on "Game of Thrones"
An impressive achievement that could have been even better. The series had its flaws, but did effectively convey the importance of institutional constraints on political power.
Game of Thrones and the Perils of "Personalist" Political Regimes
"Game of Thrones" highlights the dangers of pinning our hopes on supposedly admirable political leaders wielding vast, concentrated power. Sadly, modern Americans are almost as susceptible to that error as the misguided characters on the show.
What Elizabeth Warren Gets Wrong About Daenerys Targaryen
Like Warren, I'm a fan of the Dragon Queen. But Warren overstates the character's virtues and minimizes her flaws - sometimes in ways that reveal shortcomings of Warren's own worldview.
Podcast on the Politics of "Game of Thrones"
Harvard Kennedy School Prof. Christopher Robichaud interviews me on this topic for his "This Week in Dystopia" podcast series.
Gene Wolfe, R.I.P.
The science fiction writer appealed to traditionalists with tales of far-flung futures.
The Politics of Game of Thrones Revisited
The imminent start of the final season of Game of Thrones is a good time to consider the series' political message, and reprise some of my work on that subject. Plus, a discussion of the political economy portrayed in George R.R. Martin's recently published prequel to the series.
Netflix's Love, Death and Robots Is a Sci-Fi Demo Reel For the Untapped Potential of Animation
An anthology series about sad salesmen, space marines, super-intelligent yogurt, and the national debt
Captain Marvel Is a Message Movie Without a Message
Marvel's first female-fronted superhero film is a woke superhero fantasy scared to take any risks.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Is the Next Step in Superhero Movie Evolution
A joyous, energetic Spider-Man remix shows what superhero movies can be.
Reading Recommendations from Me and My Colleagues
mine is The Player of Games, by Iain Banks
Syfy's Adaptation of George R.R. Martin's Nightflyers Mangles a Ghost Story in Space
The show's derivative mimickry of time-skipping ruins the tension.
How Star Trek Explains Donald Trump
Kirk, Spock, and Khan have much to teach us about contemporary politics.
Why Stan Lee's Flaws Were Part of His Virtues
Less creator than editor, pathetic company man, purveyor of childish nonsense? No amount of next-level quasi-sophisticated Stan Lee critique can avoid the proper conclusion: He was the Man.
Comics Giant Stan Lee Dead at 95
Marvel's former chief left behind a massive cultural legacy preaching tolerance and personal responsibility.
Venom Feels Like a Relic From When Hollywood Didn't Know How To Make Superhero Movies
The dull new movie makes for a marked contrast with the delightful new Spider-Man video game.
The Predator Raises the Question: Why Does the Predator Franchise Exist?
Shane Black's lackluster entry doesn't understand the appeal of John McTiernan's action classic.
Christopher Nolan's 'Unrestored' 2001: A Space Odyssey Is a Testament to the Power of Analog Cinema
The 70mm restoration of Stanley Kubrick's sci-fi masterpiece is a reminder of the ways advances in technology can help keep old formats alive.
Black Bodies, Radical Politics, and Rebellious Robots
Reading Zora Neale Hurston's study of the life of the last "black cargo" and watching Westworld
Harlan Ellison, R.I.P.
The science fiction maverick helped fill generations of fans with a winning sense of courage and rebellion.
The Politics of Star Wars
In honor of Star Wars Day, a roundup of links to my writings and talks on the politics of one of the world's most popular science fiction franchises.
Whose Dystopia Is It Anyway?
Reason writers debate which fictional dystopia best predicted our current moment.
Victor Frankenstein Is the Real Monster
Mary Shelley's misunderstood masterpiece turns 200.
R.I.P. Ursula K. Le Guin, Author of One of the Greatest Novels About Freedom Ever Written
How libertarians learned to stop worrying and love The Dispossessed
Electric Dreams Is a Sci Fi Anthology Series That Warns Against Safe Spaces
The show, based on the work of Philip K. Dick, is like Black Mirror but if people were sometimes good.
My Take on the Politics of 'The Last Jedi'
"The Last Jedi" focuses on the value of institutions, not just individual heroes. But it's still hard to tell what the rebels are fighting for.
But What Does Star Wars *MEAN*?
All culture is participatory culture, and none more so than Star Wars. A debate hotter than the twin suns of Tatooine.
Book recommendations from me and my colleagues
Time travel and originalism (not in the same book!)
You Won't Be Afraid of This Dark, But You Might Be Bored
Netflix sci-fi series draws comparisons to Stranger Things that do it no favors.
The Martian's Andy Weir Talks Economics (and Sex) on the Moon in Artemis: Podcast
Weir's new book Artemis imagines life in a lunar settlement.
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Early LSD Guru
Friday A/V Club: Celebrate Halloween with Gerald Heard, Boris Karloff, and some killer bees.
Rick & Morty Takes on the American Presidency
The hit cartoon depicts how out of control presidential power has gotten.
The Prisoner Turns 50
Friday A/V Club: Celebrating half a century of an individualist TV show
Cory Doctorow's 'Fully Automated Luxury Communist Civilization'
The author of Little Brother and Walkaway on dystopia, the end of scarcity, and what's going to get him arrested
Salvation Will Have You Hoping for the World's End
CBS show is disposable summer television at its worst.
The Mist Gets Lost in a Baffling Cloud
Confused adaptation of Stephen King's novella dissipates the tension.
Cory Doctorow on Cyber Warfare, Lawbreaking, and His New Novel 'Walkaway'
The novelist, activist, and BoingBoing founder on cyber warfare, Uber-style reputation economics, and what he's likely to get arrested for someday.
Drupal Developer Larry Garfield Ostracized Over Involvement in Sci-Fi Based Kink Community
The scandal has exposed odd taboos in the liberal-leaning Drupal community and how hypocritical their talk of tolerance can be.
2017 Prometheus Award Finalists Announced
The annual prize honors libertarian-themed science fiction.
Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four Describes the Authoritarian Left Better Than It Does Trump
Trump haters rush to buy the famous dystopian novel.
Vonnegut, Heinlein, Kipling, and Others Battle It Out for a Libertarian Award
Finalists for a libertarian literary prize